“Oh,” is all I can get out through my towering relief that she didn’t mention a guy. Fuck me.
She looks at me like I’ve gone crazy, and maybe I have. “Who did you think I was talking about?”
“That’s who I thought you were talking about.”
“Uh, no it’s not. I’ll get it out of you eventually, so you might as well just tell me now.”
“Fine.” I shift uncomfortably, not meeting her eyes. “I thought maybe you were talking about a guy or something. Like, someone you were dating.”
I expect her to laugh, but she doesn’t. When I glance at her, her face is serious. “I’m not seeing anyone.”
“No?” More relief.
“No. When would I have time for that anyway? I’m always with you.”
I clear my throat. “You could though. Date someone. Not that you need my permission, obviously. But if you wanted to spend less time with me and more time with someone else, that would be okay. Again, not that you need my blessing or anything, but just know that I would be fine if you wanted to hang out with me less and someone else more. I mean…”
I break off when Jo puts her hand on my arm, her face less serious and more amused. Warmth unfurls from where her skin touches mine. “It’s our summer of fun, J. I don’t want to see anyone else. I only want to hang out with you. I think…” She trails off, seeming to consider something. “I think you’re my best friend.”
I clear my throat again at the unexpected bubble of emotion rising from my chest. “Me too, Hurricane. I mean, I think you’re my best friend too.”
She smiles and glances over at the dinosaur habitat on the coffee table. “And Dippy right?”
I smile back, the serious mood between us broken. “I mean, obviously.”
She nods, satisfied. “Okay, now you can start the movie again. I can’t wait to see the frozen Statue of Liberty. It’s my favorite part.”
An hour later, the Hall family is in Mexico, the Northern Hemisphere is covered in sheets of ice, and Jo has only yelled about listening to climate experts three more times.
She sighs as the credits roll. We’re both leaning back on the couch, our shoulders pressed together. At some point during the second half of the movie, she got hot, so she tossed her blankets off, but then when she decided she was cold again and spread a blanket back over her, it ended up over my lap too, so we’re sharing it. I’m hot, but she looks so comfortable that I didn’t want to move the blanket.
“It just hits every single time.” She rolls her head towards me, her green eyes sparkling. “What did you think?”
“I think it was great, but in the hierarchy of disaster movies, there’s definitely one that’s better than this.”
She sits up, smiling wide. “Oh, I know. I wanted to pick a New York movie, not the best disaster movie. If you’re asking me what the best disaster movie is, there’s only one answer.”
“Damn right there is.”
She eyes me. “Do you think we have the same favorite?”
I shrug. “Who could even say, Jo Jo?”
“Okay.” She claps her hands together and swings around so she’s sitting cross-legged on the couch facing me. I’m enjoying the hell out of her excitement at the mere thought that we might have this in common. “Favorite disaster movie on three. One. Two. Three.”
“Armageddon,” we both say together, and Jo squeals. “Oh, my god, J; this is the best moment of my life.” She clicks on her phone to check the time. “It’s only ten. We have to watch it!”
“Are you sure it’s not too late to start a movie? You have to work tomorrow morning.”
She gives me anare you kidding melook. “I don’t need that much sleep, remember? There is literally nothing I’d rather do than watch a double feature with you. And we have to make candy popcorn.”
“What’s candy popcorn?”
She looks at me incredulously. “You’ve never had candy popcorn?”
“Nope.”
“Jesus Christ, Jordan, it’s a good thing you have me. You’ve been missing out.” Jo gets up, reaching into the fish tank and patting Dippy on his little head and then unzipping her suitcase. She rummages around for a second, coming up with a couple bags of microwave popcorn and bags of M&M’s and Reese’s Pieces.
